


Intentions in the Shadows

by sugarby



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, Drabble, Gen, M/M, Sentimental, Small Talk, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 22:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18107489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarby/pseuds/sugarby
Summary: "Then I could see it. For you, it wasn't just about saving the world. It was something else you weren't telling, and it was important enough for you to be dead set on risking your life for." Nero looks over V's condition, the breaking down and wrecking of his form and clothing. When he doesn't get a confirmation—or theoverdue explanationpromised to him, he adds, "That or you're an idiot.""I'll leave that up to your discretion."





	Intentions in the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Really not a fan of short pieces but I'm hoping drabbles will help improve my writing after being burnt out for a while. Right now, I’m just amazed I got _anything out_ , especially when I wrote this in one sitting so late at night.
> 
> _*The title ~~as dramatic as V~~ is a mix of two songs: 'Intentions' by The Valeras, and the other song mentioned at the end. I don't totally like it, but I guess it's an obvious nod at the in-game kept truths._  
> 
> 
> Here’s to a game I've enjoyed playing, and a character I've been _wondrously_ charmed by.

It's like porcelain, crumbling from the cracks seeping across his skin. Thinning to dust and swept by in his wake, steps shaky but no less decisive. With his cane firmly under hand, supporting his weight and his burdens, V continues in the direction of the demon king.

Nero's forged arm catches the closest shoulder of peeling, black leather. "There's no way you're gonna last like this. Just turn back."

V, knowing this, takes another shaky step toward the cave's gaping cavity. It's practically calling him, _beckoning_ , the severed connection that lies beyond _still_ that—a connection. "I..." he loses balance and stumbles to a knee. Another set of arms come behind, lingering in precaution. "I must...keep going."

"I can't save you again when shit gets crazy."

"I won't ask you to."

"I mean it." Nero insists, convinced otherwise and concerned. "I plan on paying that jackass back tenfold."

"Good." V picks himself up, grasping his knee tightly in one hand and his cane in the other and gradually rising. "But do not forget the first time and overestimate yourself. ‘The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind’.”

“Let’s pretend I know what that means." Nero huddles against V, places his free arm over his shoulder and lifts to support him. And he doesn't walk. Just stares at the entrance.

"Nero," V's voice is patient and calm despite that he's tired of this impasse between them—not the first, possibly the last, and as frustrating as always. He was never looking to subject himself to bonding with Dante and whoever else his mission would lead him to meet, and he's long since been awaiting his inevitable demise, but he can't say he's truly dissatisfied. "I have to see this through. To the very end."

Nero sigh is argumentative but he doesn't verbalise it. "You're one stubborn bastard, V." He listens to V's tired chuckle, a sign they've still a ways to go before anything final. He paces on with the weight of a limping, frail man to one side.

This all feels ridiculous: his substituting his flesh arm for Nico's wild prosthetics, meeting a guy with his heart exposed and a quote for every occasion. Dante's unpaid bills and staggering debt.

"What’s your plan after this?" Nero inquires, presuming V will keep up the devil hunter gig with his pet chicken and cat.

“My choices, limited they be, matter not. The end isn’t much further now. Dante..." The legendary devil hunter had taken off in quite the confidence that he can defeat Urizen all by himself—believes he has to. "He's sure to be there by now."

“ _No shit_. Dragging you along like this? We'll be his age by the time we get there."

“What will you do once this is all over?"

“For starters, I’m gonna take a shower." Nero's been bathed in bouts of blood from just about every nook and cranny of the underworld to last a life time. "See Kyrie and eat as much of her cooking as I can." Because her cooking, as overgenerous in amount as it tends to be, is treasured. And where he might've ended up if not for her place in his life is too unfortunate. "And there'll be plenty of clean up jobs after this for me and Nico, I'm sure."

“I’m sure you’ll succeed in your endeavours, Nero. It needn’t be said that you are unlikely to accept defeat, even when clearly outmatched.”

“Asshole!" Nero's head whips to cast a warning leer, "Is that a dig at how I got my ass handed to me before?!”

V's smile is faint and teasing, “Your words, not so eloquently mine.”

“Fuck off!"

“Ah, my statement proceeds.”

“And your tats suck!”

V glances down at his arms, the uneven, jagged etchings of decay and worn black markings. Of all things to be attacked for, he assumed the obvious thread between his cane and his fragility. A laugh between syllables, he asks, “My...tattoos?”

Nero turns away, irritated. It's like a school fight or something dumb a kid yells at their parent when they don’t get their way. "And when I met you, I thought 'who the fuck's this and does his j-rock band know they're missing their frontman?'."

V shakes his head, smile still present. He supposes there's compliment in there, being seen as the frontman for a nonexistent band made up to mock his fashion.

"Then I could see it. For you, it wasn't just about saving the world. It was something else you weren't telling, and it was important enough for you to be dead set on risking your life for." Nero looks over V's condition, the breaking down and wrecking of his form and clothing. When he doesn't get a confirmation—or the _overdue explanation_ promised to him, he adds, "That or you're an idiot."

"I'll leave that up to your discretion."

Nero rolls a shoulder to hike V upright, the two of them in arms about to exit this peaceful interval. "Checking in with you one last time.” He doesn't like to be the voice of reason here. Him, usually the impulsive, fire cracker hunter ready to kick ass and take names before lunch time. He’s escorting what’s left of V for however little time they have—maybe just until they reach Urizen, if they’re lucky.

Whoever V truly is, he’s been an ally up until this point. Even kept Nero alive.

V senses the sentiment in Nero’s tone, in his incessant glances his way. “Sleep not less there behold answers, cease not before the cure to this cancer.” V recites, not in theme with his usual poems but fitting all the same. “And to you, Nero, I can no other answer but make thanks.”

Nero hates the way it sounds like a goodbye, but he’s witnessed V pull of some interesting moves so far. He himself magically appeared _out of nowhere_. So maybe. “Like I keep saying, V, you're an interesting guy."

**Author's Note:**

> V became his own person and I will defend that for eternity because I loved him as he was. And I love the idea of these two being close; I was rooting for their tag team the entire time!
> 
> Second last quote is my ~~weird~~ rendition of the first verse of _'In The Shadows'_ by _The Rasmus_ , which I think suits V _(and can’t listen to now without a montage of him in my head)_. Then it's a quote by _Shakespeare_ about thankfulness.


End file.
